Next Waypoint: Safety

A Distant Place

The 350 Mile Keeps on Rolling

ITI Alaska Update - Whether the weather will affect the race

The Riders

Race Preview

Miron Golfman took the win and set a new record on the ITI southern route. Each year the route alternates between a northerly and southerly route and the southern is known as topographically more challenging and interesting, with its tussock grasses and wind-scoured plains. This Anchorage resident tackled the extreme cold of the first night, the storms and winds 70-80mph on the second day and the challenge of the trail disappearing early in the race because the trail hadn’t been broken yet which meant for much walking and therefore blisters. This issue of racing on an unbroken trail is one that riders have faced on the southern route in the past.

Once at the finish of the 350 mile route in McGrath, he waited for almost 3 days for the trail breakers of the Iditarod sled dog race and then continued in their wake. However, due to the unseasonably warm conditions the trail was soft out of McGrath and later in the race the snow turned to mush. At times he was hiking his bike in the rain which left much of his stuff soaking wet and yet again his feet struggled due to more walking and the moisture. His final two days along the coast were plagued with extreme winds and also pushing for the record he realised was in his grasp. The ITI is never an easy task and Miron faced his fair share of difficulties which makes his record time even more impressive.

![336275555 884622622844687 6862752791536801740 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1ZTMiqdDjV5Txul0fxMkRg/a9ff50b305a9a354e1d9491b03f404b5/336275555_884622622844687_6862752791536801740_n.jpg)

One major hurdle winter races often pose is the extreme solitude, and Miron talked about this level of isolation and how overwhelming it felt at times. He expands more on this in an interview with his personal trainer [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/CqJSSdfgiFD/).

In second place we saw three riders arrive together in a total time of 18D 4H 44M: Jamie Hollingsworth, Jay Cable and Bill Fleming made it to Nome as a threesome. An excellent first result on the 1000 for Jamie Hollingsworth. It’s become customary to see multiple riders finish together on the ITI behind the winner and in third place there were five riders who all crossed the line together 21 days, 2 hours and 48 minutes: George Adams, Roberto Gazzoli, Leah Gruhn, Tiziano Mulonia and Willy Mulonia all finished side by side and rounded out the bike competition. Leah Gruhn was the only woman to finish of the two who started and talked about the strength her and her four fellow riders drew from each other, so much so that no rider was going to be left behind.

All photos from the Iditarod Trail Invitational.

First to Nome and Second to None

__Miron Golfman__ is currently only a windy 50 miles from Nome and has been finding the time and dexterity to share on his social media regularly. His next checkpoint is only 22 miles away at the aptly named town Safety, which will be the final CP before the finish in Nome later today. He’s faced some slow progress over the past twenty four hours due to lots of snow drift and wide trail. The snow drift is dense, adds resistance to the snow and renders some rideable trails to a walk, whereas the wide trail means the trail breakers and mushers have used different paths so it’s harder to find the hard packed trail. His reels on Instagram showing him as looking really healthy and lucid, a good sign that he's looked after himself well and ridden sensibly for the past 18 days.

# Frigid Conditions and Warm Hospitality

__Leah Grunn__ is the only remaining woman in the 1000 mile event after __Julie Perilla Garcia__ scratched a few days ago at the Iditarod CP (423 miles). Leah wrote on her Instagram a few days ago that “while the outdoor conditions have been frigid this year, there is so much warmth along the race.” This testament to the support and generosity of the locals who staff the checkpoints and volunteer with the race is one we hear regularly about the ITI. The checkpoints offer momentary respite from the solitude and freezing temperatures outdoors with the homely warmth you’d need in these conditions.

The UK’s only two finishers at the event were both in the 350 category: two veterans of the HT550, __Karl Booth__ and __Huw Oliver__ made it to McGrath safely. Huw Oliver finished second overall and has since continued on the trail with his buddy Kurt Refsnider and are making their way to Nome. This will strengthen a future application for the 1000 mile event and we suspect we’ll see Huw’s dot line up at Knik Lake one year for the longer event. Karl’s written some thoughts on his experience and his less-than-optimal preparation for the event, have a [read here](https://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/a-cold-day-in-hell-karl-on-the-iditarod-trail/).

Since our last update, all riders on the 350 mile route have finished - congratulations to all! With only the 1,000 mile race left, there’s much less to talk about with only 16 athletes left on the course, 13 of whom are bike competitors.

It’s been a couple of days since the mushers of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race left Anchorage and the leader has already passed most of the 1000 mile riders with only Miron Golfman left to catch. The mushers typically complete the 1000 mile route in approximately 10 days and it’s a much bigger affair than the ITI. For example, the prize for reaching the halfway point first is a choice between either $3,000 in gold nuggets or a smartphone with a year of free mobile service, whereas the ITI racers are competing for much less tangible but noble accolades: dignity and pride. Check out some of the [landscapes from a photographer](https://iditarod.com/eye-on-the-trail-telephoto-story-wednesday/) at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, it makes the route look idyllic!

The name Iditarod comes from a Native Indian word __"Halditarod"__ which was the name for the river on which the town was built. It means "a distant place” and for many of the athletes, the finish line in Nome will feel that way. No athlete has yet reached the halfway point which is around the Shageluk CP.

![Miron Golfman](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5OCYNpN6DtibwtFzGfLwKO/817dab7cb4f6c4e5db32231046f33a2d/Miron_Golfman.jpg)

Above is a shot from [Miron Golfman](https://www.instagram.com/miron_golfman/), leading rider, from the namesake Iditarod CP at the 423 mile point. He shared that he was waiting for the temperature to cool and allow for faster progress as the trail hardens once the temperature drops and the sun sets. This is especially beneficial with the rivers he’ll be facing soon. He was also stationary again yesterday as he’d caught the trail breakers and passing them meant he needed to push his own way through the snow which is slow and extremely energy intensive. Instead of ploughing on through the “mashed potato” snow conditions, he rested and hit the trail later in the day but without much success. Once the mushers pass him, conditions should harden and he’ll not need to break the trail himself.

__Stopping now to go faster later may sound paradoxical but it’s a tactical move in winter races.__

The frequency of the checkpoints and the, at times, overwhelming grandeur of the route often results in racers moving together. Last year we saw four riders take joint second place, and it appears that the three remaining foot men racers are together on the trail, and bike athletes are together at the checkpoints. There’s a group of four riders imminently approaching the Tolstoi CP at mile 369, including the two female riders __Julie Perilla Garcia__ and __Leah Gruhn__. At the time of writing, every bike athlete is stationary at the CPs.

Header image is from __Keith Eckhert__ who scratched earlier this week and vows he’ll be back to top up the already remarkable 1,200 miles he’s spent on the ITI since 2020.


*Photo from the ITI*

As we wake up to a new Monday we've seen a few more finishes in the 350 mile race. 

Our first woman, __Kinsey Loan__, has rolled into McGrath in 5 days, 13 hours and 33 minutes. This is an impressive finish with Kinsey electing to skip a stop at 225 miles that all other women took. Following along into the finish to round out the women's podium were Kori Marchowski and Kendall Park 16 and 26 hours later.

Outside of the bike race, the first men's Ski was Matias Saari in 6 days, 9 hours and 54 mins. He was followed reasonably promptly by first foot finisher, Herman Watson, who came in at 6 days, 22 hours and 56 minutes.

Our first woman on skis is Christy Marvin at 6 days, 23 hours and 13 minutes.

# The 1000 Mile Race

Saturday morning saw some of the coldest weather so far in the race, again reaching the depths of -40 at some points. However, as we move into the new week the weather is warming up a little and will hopefully make riding easier going.

Heat management is THE most important factor on the ITI. Too much heat, means sweat, which at these temperatures, you can instantly freeze. Too little heat, you can just burnout from the cold conditions. Seeing as your internal temperature balances with your effort, it can really affect rider speed.

In the women's bike race, the 2 women racing the 1000 mile,  Leah Gruhn and Julie Perilla Garcia, have both made it to McGrath. Leah hasn't moved in over 50 hours, we'll keep you updated as we look at her progress.

In the men's race we seem to have a lot of riders coming together (as well as some tracker issues). All the riders have waited in McGrath that arrived within a couple of days, they're now riding together and have reached Ophir. With such a long, attritional expanse ahead, working together for a period of time is no issue for these competitive riders. George Adams and Ryan Wanless has just reached McGrath and should be resting before they head out on the next leg of the journey.

![IMG 0191](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3CBFnmNuBVDavAJ5d0rz56/d562af98a512e062d38f309eaa7d5f2e/IMG_0191.jpg)

What we didn't inlude last update: [RJ Sauer's thoughts](https://www.instagram.com/p/CpOviwyOm_g/). Last year, we caught up with RJ and talked all things bikepacking. He has recently started adventuring with his young son in tow and enjoys family trips. His recent time on the ITI has come to an end with some introspective and empathetic thoughts on loneliness on the trail. We'd highly encourage you to take a look.


We’ve had a few riders into the finish for the 350-mile route with 2nd place being tied between Tim Berntson and John Lackey in 4 days and 50 minutes. At the ITI it is quite common for riders to collect together and ride with a kindred spirit. This is due to the harsh conditions leading to slow going, once you’re with someone it’s hard to make a gap. Join this with a spirit of camaraderie to protect yourself in the harsh Alaskan wilderness and it is rather understandable.

![IMG 0183](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/10V8VQ8uvMAIg8zJWfSojz/f69ce1cbaf01650a8fb779cf045310af/IMG_0183.jpg)

The weather. Harsh is an understatement. With temperatures dropping to -40 (which is also the convergence point between fahrenheit and Celcius) overnight, the athletes had a lot to contend with. This steep drop in temperature is one of the reasons the ITI is littered with official checkpoints and refuges for the riders, with [Yentna Station](http://www.yentnastation.com/) sheltering a grand amount of riders on night 1.
![download](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2RQnRAZlHGzFN2b9F591Lj/590071b70fbd169d8dc6e937da9b0597/download.jpg)
To give you an idea of what -40 means we’ve included a chart from the US National Weather Service, it only takes 5 minutes for frostbite to set in on a calm day at -40. Add in the winds and the snow, fatigue and any potential moisture from sweat, you’re talking instantaneous.

To couple this, the riders faced a snow dump of almost 8 inches and fog. The fresh snow isn’t hard-packed and can make the riding rather slow going, it also covers any potential tracks for the riders to follow as they take their course. On top of this, the fog will completely disorientate even the most experienced riders. If you’ve ever been out in the fog, you’ll understand quite how harrowing losing your bearings when you’re cold, tired and hungry can be.

![IMG 0179](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/BgJ0taelES49AmjBu1Bbe/13329029df7fe6810f2c45c31331e6b4/IMG_0179.jpg)

This all leads to a unique race every year. With over 1000 miles to cover for the long route, riders can be out in the wilderness for almost a month with little to no shelter and limited resupply points. The ITI is truly one of the hardest challenges a rider can face.

Keep an eye out for the race flow, it gives a great indication of when the riders seek shelter, especially at the checkpoint (for those new to Trackleaders, hit the Race Flow box and it’ll show you the rider distance vs time - horizontal lines mean they’re stopped, the steeper the line, the faster they’re going).

This morning Alaska time (13 hours ago) Tyson Flaharty won the ITI 350 mile bike race in just over 3 days. 

The challenging conditions (which we'll dive into a bit later) have meant he's not managed to topple his own times yet with 2d 7h 57m in 2022 and 
1d 23h 51m in 2019. 

"Congratulations to the 2023 IT 350 bike champion Tyson Flaharty from Fairbanks, Alaska! Tyson finished the race in 3 days, 1 hour and 30 minutes, and this is his third win." - ITI Alaska

Tyson Flaharty wins for the third time! 

[https://www.facebook.com/1276920464/videos/5972600139519781/](https://www.facebook.com/1276920464/videos/5972600139519781/)

Here's a video from Carlene Van Tol from the start yesterday.

The Euros among us will recognise __Huw Oliver’s__ name, the rider who’s racing off the back of a stellar 2023 with a win at both the coveted Highland Trail 550 and GBDURO. A Scot who spends much of his winter on the fat bike in the Scottish highlands is branching into winter racing and attempting the 350 mile route.

In 2022, the 350 was won within a lightning fast time of 2 days 8 hours and it's yet to be seen whether conditions this year will be as fast to allow for such a quick time. Other years the leaders have reached McGrath around the 3 day mark.

__Kara Lackey__ (née Oney) is currently yo-yoing between the top three positions in the 350 Bike category, it’s her second time out on the ITI 350 and it’s great to see her back since that rapid year in 2015.

__RJ Sauer’s__ is a dot we all know and love, a rider, writer, filmmaker and bikepacking dad who shares plenty of adventure with his family, including their young son, Oliver. A two time veteran of the ITI 1000, RJ’s back for the 350 but at the time of writing his dot hasn’t moved for almost 8 hours so we’ll keep an eye on his dot.

In the 1000 mile race, __John Lackey__ is a four time finisher of the ITI 350 and is dipping his tyres into the 1000 for the first time since he first raced way back in 2013.

With atleast two more weeks of racing in the 1000 mile race, it'll take another few days to see any dominance emerge, so for now all we can do is speculate!

__Jay Cable__ has finished the ITI seven times, twice in the 1000 and five in the 350, including a win at the 1000 in 2017.

The two women in the 1000 bike category are __Leah Gruhn__ and __Julie Perilla Garcia__, both of whom haven’t ridden the ITI since 2016 when they arrived to McGrath nine hours apart.


> “Nothing says Hello Alaska like my cold hands lathering diaper cream over my private parts in the darkness of a winter morning along the Iditarod Trail.” - Rj Sauer

The Iditarod Trail Invitational harbours more history than most bikepacking events. A multi-discipline winter event across the Alaskan wilds following the historic Iditarod Trail; a route designed to access the isolated and icebound Nome by dog sled during the winter months when the rivers froze rendering the gold mines and their workers inaccessible by water from October to May. And the Iditarod Trail was born, but it wasn’t until 1973 when the route was first raced by mushers (dog sled teams) commemorating those who travelled on this freight route decades before. The first Iditarod Trail Invitational was held in 2000 and is the event we’ll be dotwatching over the coming weeks.

Mushers start on March 5th and it’s likely their front runners will catch some of the 1000 mile riders somewhere on the trail. They'll certainly catch some of those on foot and on ski.

The ITI has two distances; 350 mile for those who have never raced the ITI before, and the 1000 mile for those who qualify. The riders, skiers and foot racers follow the historic Iditarod Trail from its trailhead at Knik Lake near Anchorage to the remote interior village of McGrath, and those on the 1000 mile event continue to the Bering Sea before reaching the trail's conclusion in Nome.

![ITI+2023+Route](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1gRQevgHQR07uOB7iGKBYO/c2ae9d1271e85742957eb4564ec75331/ITI_2023_Route.png)

__Conditions__

In few other races do the conditions play as important a role as the ITI. The weather during the months in the lead up to the event define the snow and ice under-tyre for the riders and each year can vary drastically.

We’re told conditions are *good* this year with temps around -10 celsius but it’s due to be -30 tonight. Yikes! Good is relative as that sounds mighty cold to me! The trail is firm and for those who dotwatched the Fat Viking last month will know that firm trail makes for fast riding due to the lower resistance. Wind is low and the sun is out but there’s snow forecast for Tuesday so we suspect many riders will push on to make it over the Alaska range before this weatherfront. The mountain range sits between Checkpoint 3 at Finger Lake (125miles / 200km) and Checkpoint 5 at Rohn (200miles / 320km).

It may be surprising to learn that the higher temperatures can be worrisome for riders, as it increases the chance of thin ice, and therefore the chance of falling in the water and going under the ice; a fate worse than scratching, although likely inevitable once wet. The threat of falling in the water can understandably be a real source of anxiety for riders as it can be disastrous to their safety with dire consequences. It’s for these reasons that riders practised getting themselves out of an icey body of water fully kitted up and looking after themselves in the following moments at the ITI’s training camp earlier this month.

The plentiful river crossings that many will face on the first evening will certainly be cold, as the air temperature over water is always colder than land.

<iframe src="https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=42100435&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true&distanceMarkers=true&hideSurface=true" style="width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 700px; border: none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Godspeed to those intrepid souls.

Kitty Dennis

Tracking and commentary for the Iditarod Trail Invitational 2023, a race up Alaska in the snow and ice.

Iditarod Trail Invitational 2023 Tracking

The race of many disciplines with a foot race, bike race and ski race. We'll focus on the bike races, both the 350 mile and the 1000 mile versions as our riders cross the Alaskan wilderness on their fat bikes.

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Iditarod Trail Invitational 2023

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